they were fighting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they were fighting" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where two or more individuals are engaged in a physical or verbal conflict. Example: "During the school recess, they were fighting over a game, causing quite a scene."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They were fighting for her attention, and it wasn't even a real fight.

The New York Times

They were fighting and screaming.

The New Yorker

Republicans said they were fighting voter fraud.

The Economist

"They were fighting for him [Gaddafi].

Independent

They were fighting the last war.

The New York Times

"But they were fighting back.

The New York Times - Sports

"She said they were fighting.

The New York Times

That's why they were fighting.

The Guardian

They were fighting over the Talib's jeep.

The New Yorker

On Wednesday they were fighting erosion.

The New York Times

People felt they were fighting ghosts.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To add nuance, specify the context or reason for the fight. For example: "They were fighting for their rights".

Common error

Ensure clarity by explicitly stating who "they" refers to, especially if the context doesn't immediately make it obvious. For example, instead of just writing "They were fighting", specify "The protesters and the police were fighting".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they were fighting" functions as a past continuous tense verb phrase, describing an ongoing action in the past. Ludwig's examples show this phrase used to depict conflicts ranging from personal disagreements to large-scale battles.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Science

1%

Academia

0.5%

Encyclopedias

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "they were fighting" is a grammatically sound and very common phrase used to describe an ongoing conflict in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and widespread use across various contexts, particularly in news and media. While versatile, ensuring clarity in pronoun reference is key. Alternative phrases like "they were battling" or "they were clashing" can add nuance. Whether narrating personal disputes or historical battles, "they were fighting" effectively conveys the action of past conflicts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they were battling

Replaces "fighting" with "battling", suggesting a more intense or prolonged conflict.

they were clashing

Substitutes "fighting" with "clashing", indicating a brief, forceful confrontation.

they were struggling

Replaces "fighting" with "struggling", emphasizing the difficulty and effort involved in the conflict.

they were contending

Uses "contending" instead of "fighting", implying a competitive aspect to the conflict.

they were at odds

Replaces the entire phrase with an idiomatic expression indicating disagreement or conflict.

they were at war

Substitutes "fighting" with "at war", suggesting a larger scale or more formal conflict.

they were in conflict

Replaces "fighting" with "in conflict", highlighting the state of disagreement or opposition.

they were arguing

Replaces "fighting" with "arguing", indicating a verbal disagreement rather than physical combat.

they were wrangling

Uses "wrangling" instead of "fighting", often implying a messy or undignified dispute.

they were in a brawl

Replaces the entire phrase and specify the type of fight: a brawl

FAQs

How can I use "they were fighting" in a sentence?

The phrase "they were fighting" is used to describe a situation where multiple individuals or groups are engaged in a conflict. For example: "They were fighting over the last slice of pizza", or "During the protest, "they were fighting" for their rights".

What's the difference between "they were fighting" and "they fought"?

"They were fighting" indicates an ongoing action in the past, while "they fought" describes a completed action. "They were fighting" suggests the conflict was in progress, whereas "they fought" implies the conflict is over.

What can I say instead of "they were fighting"?

You can use alternatives like "they were battling", "they were clashing", or "they were struggling" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "they was fighting" instead of "they were fighting"?

No, "they was fighting" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "they were fighting", as "were" is the past tense plural form of the verb "to be" and agrees with the plural pronoun "they".